Valencia appear to be heading for the quarter-finals of the Europa League after claiming a 4-2 win over PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Soldado bags a brace as Valencia edge towards last eight
Valencia appear to be heading for the quarter-finals of the Europa League after claiming a 4-2 win over PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Los Che burst out of the blocks on Thursday, with an early effort from Victor Ruiz and a brace from the in-form Roberto Soldado seeing them into a commanding first-half lead.
Pablo Piatti added a fourth for the Spaniards after the interval, before late strikes from Ola Toivonen and Georgino Wijnaldum offered PSV a glimmer of hope heading into the return date on Dutch soil.
Valencia came flying out of the blocks and were two up after 13 minutes.
Pablo Hernandez jinked into the area following a short corner and crossed to the back post where Ruiz rose highest to head home the opener after 11 minutes.
Control
The visitors were cut open again two minutes later as Antonio Barragan drove inside from the right and laid the ball across the area for Soldado to slide home.
Jonas then could not adjust his feet quick enough to turn home a corner from Daniel Parejo after the ball had come all the way through to him at the back post.
The hosts were in total control, but PSV might have pulled one back when Tim Matavz got to Stanislav Manolev's cross ahead of goalkeeper Diego Alves but stabbed his effort wide of the near post.
That was a rare moment of promise for the Dutch side, though, and Valencia should have had a third when Piatti was presented with a free header in front of goal by Barragan's right-wing cross.
He could only direct his header straight at goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson, who made the save.
Challenge
Los Che did make it three in the 43rd minute when Jonas went down in the area under a challenge from Kevin Strootman and Soldado sent Isaksson the wrong way from the spot.
And PSV's hopes looked in tatters 11 minutes after the break as Piatti got a fourth, the striker running onto a pass from Parejo and sliding his finish past Isaksson.
The visitors were not even looking like getting a consolation and they almost conceded another when Jonas' free-kick brought a sprawling save from Isaksson.
But suddenly PSV were offered a way back into the tie when Jeremy Mathieu needlessly went to ground in the area, bringing down Strootman, and Toivonen made no mistake from the spot.
And substitute Wijnaldum tucked home another from close range in the dying moments to put a different complexion on the tie.
